Raft.



PATENTED JULY 21, 1-903.

J. G. 'ELDERKIN.

RAFT. APPLICATION FILED r113. 2a, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

'No. 734,050. PATENTED JULY 21, 1903..

' J. G. ELDERKIN.

RAFT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 3- T NORRIS PETERS co. PKOYO-LIYNQ, wuummou, n c

UNITED STATES:

- Patented July 21, 1903.

PATENT ()FFICE.

RAFT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters. Patent No. 734,050, dated July 21, 1903.

Application filed February 28, 1903. Serial No- 145.565. (N0 model.)

To .ttlZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH GIEVAN Ennna KIN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Fox River, in the county of Cumberland and Province of Nova Scotia, Canada, have invented a new and useful Raft, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to rafts constructed of logs, piling, spars, poles, or other lumber and designed for towing, particularly sea-going rafts which are required to withstand heavystrains, though also pertaining to those constructed for transportation in inland waters. V

The object of the invention is to provide a raft which will be very strong, being doubly bound together, and which will' move easily through the water without chafing or injuring the timber or lumber.

It is also the object to provide a raft in which the different grades of timber or lumber can be assorted andkeptseparate, said raft being built up of layers so arranged that when one or more of said layers are built the raft can be moved from the place it was commenced to any other place tobe finished. In like manner it can be taken apart section by section without mixing the timber or that of one section with another, also parts may be removed without breaking up the raft as a whole.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a top plan View of a raft constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the raft, on an enlarged scale, intermediate portions thereof being broken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line a; 00 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 1 is a similar section taken on the'line y y of Fig. 2.

,Similar reference-numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The body of the raft is made uprof separate independent sections that extend longitudinally of said body and are superposed one upon the other. In the present instance four of these sections are illustrated and designated by the reference numeral 10,

though any number may be employed, as desired. Each section is composed of timbers arranged end to end and having their joints disposed in staggered relation and therefore thoroughlybroken. Thesectionsextendfrom :side to side of the raft, and each is fastened by separate binding-cables 11, surrounding the same and illustrated in Fig. at. Thus it will be apparent that each section is independent of the others, and should the upper one be re moved the remainder will be intact. The several sections are also fastened together by raft-binder cables l2,'WhlCh surround all of the sections, and thus secure the body of the raft together as a whole. In the preferred form the body'of the raft, as well as the sections,is substantially,rectangular in crosssection, and to maintain this form, as well as to more thoroughly strengthen the structure, tie-cables 13 and 14 pass vertically through the same. The lower ends of the cables 13 are fastened to the lower transverse stretches of the raft-binder cables 12, and said cables 13 pass vertically through the body of the raft. Their upper ends are fastened to stems 14?, upon which are screwed tension devices in the form of nuts 15, having suitable handles l6. The tie-cables 14 are fastened to the lower stretches of the lowest section-binder cables 11, and these tie-cables also pass vertically through the body of the raft, being connected to similar tension devices. Wherever the cables cross devices 17 connect the same, these devices being so arranged that they will permit the relative movements of the cables. Extending centrally through the raft is a draft-cable 18, fastened at its ends to cap-plates 19, that are arranged at the ends structure. I The body is'tied horizontally-by the section-binder cables, so that it cannot spread, and the vertical cables also serve to' hold said body in proper shape. These cables may be tightened as desired by means of the tension devices. A still further advantage resides in the fact that a raft may be constructed in sections and taken apart in the same manner without materially affecting the body as a whole. Furthermore, the dilferent grades of lumber may be kept assorted and will not become mixed when the raft is broken up. While in the drawings the cables have been represented as wire rope, it will be understood that the term is broad enough to include chains or other suitable means of a similar character.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the artwithout further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A timber raft made up of separate sections extending to the sides of the raft, section-binder cables surrounding each section, and raft-binder cables surrounding all the sections and crossing the outer sides thereof, binding said sections together.

2. Atimber raft made up of separate superposed sections extending from side to side of the raft, section-binder cables surrounding each section, and raft-binder cables surrounding all the sections and crossing the outer sides thereof.

3. A timber raft made up of separate superposed sections extending longitudinally of the raft and substantially rectangular in cross-section, said sections comprising tinibers arranged end to end and having their joints disposed in staggered relation, thereby being thoroughly broken, section-binder cables surrounding each section, and raftbinder cables extending around all of the sections.

4. In a raft, the combination with the timber body composing the same, of flexible binder-cables surrounding the body, tie-cables connecting the binder-cables, and tension devices connecting the tie and binder cables for tightening said cables.

5. In a raft, the combination with the timber body composing the same, of flexible binder-cables extending across the bottom and top of the body, connecting devices located on the upper portions of the bindercables, tie-cables secured to the lowerportions of the binder-cables, stems fastened to the upper ends of the tie cables and passing through the connecting. devices, and tensionnuts threaded on the upper ends of the stems and bearing against the connecting devices.

6. In a timber raft, the combination with the body, of cross-cables passing through the body, and devices connecting the cables at their crossing-points, said devices permitting the relative movements of the cables.

7. In a raft, the combination with the body made up of superposed sections, of binderca'oles surrounding each section, and tie-cables connecting the lower and upper sectionbinder cables.

8. In a raft, the combination with the body made up of superposed sections, of bindercables surrounding each section, raft-binder cables surrounding the body, tie-cables secured to the lower section-binder cables and having adjustable connections with the binder-cables of the upper section, and other tie-cables attached to the lower stretches of the raft-binder cables and having adjustable connections with the upper stretches thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aifixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH GIRVAN ELDERKIN.

Witnesses:

ALEXANDER E. MACLEOD, KENNETH D. WOODWORTH. 

